Files, not pixels
Captions are delivered as SRT or VTT files that sit beside the video, so each viewer can turn them on or off.
Closed caption generator
Closed captions viewers can switch on, generated from your video.
AutoCap turns the speech in your video into an edited caption file that players show whenever a viewer asks for captions.
No credit card · 2 free minutes every month · MP4, SRT and VTT export
100:00:01,200 --> 00:00:03,400A subtitle file is only as good 200:00:03,400 --> 00:00:05,100as its timings. 300:00:05,300 --> 00:00:07,050These ones were reviewed.
Why it matters
Closed captions are the ones behind the CC button. They live in a file beside the video, the player draws them, and each viewer decides whether they appear.
Making that file used to mean paying for transcription or typing for hours. AutoCap drafts the captions from English speech, times every word, and gives you an editor to make the text accurate before it writes an SRT or VTT file.
It's worth being clear about scope from the start. This is a generator for web and platform caption files, not broadcast caption data, and it transcribes speech; descriptions of other sounds are yours to add.
What you get
Closed captions you've actually checked.
Reviewed before release
Correct every misheard word, name and figure before exporting, rather than publishing a transcript nobody has read.
Room for non-speech information
Type speaker labels or descriptions like [applause] into the caption text wherever the audio needs them.
Timed to the spoken word
Each caption's start and end come from word-level timing, so the text appears as the line is said.
Open captions from the same work
Render the same captions into an MP4 as well, for places where a caption file can't be attached.
How it works
Create closed captions in four steps.
- 01
Upload your video
Choose the MP4 or MOV; its audio is sent for transcription while the video itself stays on your device.
- 02
Make the text accurate
Review every line with playback running, paying closest attention to names, figures and technical terms.
- 03
Add what the audio implies
Where it helps understanding, type a speaker's name or a sound cue such as [music] into the caption.
- 04
Export SRT or VTT
Download the caption file on a paid plan and upload it with your video, or reference it from your own player.
Closed captions or open captions?
Closed captions can be turned on and off by the viewer; open captions are part of the image and always visible. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines use the same two definitions and treat both as captions.
The practical difference is control. A closed caption track lets each viewer decide, and on players with caption settings they can often enlarge the text or change its background; open captions give everyone the same fixed text in the style you chose.
Why caption files matter for accessibility
WCAG success criterion 1.2.2, Captions (Prerecorded), is a Level A requirement, the most basic level of conformance. It calls for captions on all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, unless the media is itself an alternative to text and clearly labeled as one.
Its intent goes beyond dialogue: captions should identify who is speaking and include meaningful sound effects and other non-speech information. Which laws require captions, and for whom, depends on where you are and what sector you work in.
A caption file also gives a platform the words of your video as real text, which burned-in captions can't, and it can be corrected and uploaded again without touching the video.
Captions, SDH and what AutoCap covers
Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, usually shortened to SDH, add what a hearing viewer takes for granted: who is talking when it isn't obvious from the picture, and sounds that matter, such as [door slams] or [music fades].
AutoCap transcribes speech. It doesn't detect music, laughter or sound effects, and it doesn't name speakers. Every caption's text is editable, though, so you can add those details yourself, for example by starting a line with a speaker's name or adding [laughter] where it happens.
- Name a speaker only when the picture doesn't make it clear
- Describe sounds that carry meaning, not every background noise
- Put sound descriptions in square brackets
- Keep speech close to verbatim unless it's too fast to read
What this generator doesn't make
AutoCap exports SRT, which YouTube and LinkedIn both accept, and VTT, which web players read. It doesn't produce broadcast caption formats such as SCC, or CEA-608 and CEA-708 caption data embedded for television delivery.
If a broadcaster or distributor has sent you a delivery spec naming one of those formats, you'll need a dedicated broadcast captioning tool or service for the final file.
Questions
Good to know.
Are these real closed captions?
Yes. An SRT or VTT file is a closed caption track: players display it on request, and viewers can turn it off again.
Does AutoCap add speaker names or sound effects automatically?
No. It transcribes speech only, but you can edit any caption's text to add a speaker label or a description such as [music].
Will a caption file make my video WCAG compliant?
Captions for prerecorded audio are what success criterion 1.2.2 asks for, and an accurate, reviewed caption file supplies them. Whether a site or product conforms overall depends on far more than one video's captions.
Can I export SCC or CEA-608 captions?
No. AutoCap exports SRT and VTT only; broadcast formats such as SCC and embedded CEA-608 or CEA-708 data aren't offered.
Do caption files cost extra?
They're included in every paid plan rather than sold separately, starting with Starter at $9 / €9 a month for 90 minutes of transcription. The free plan lets you try transcription and editing on clips up to 60 seconds.
Try it on the next video you post.
The free plan needs no card. Upload a clip, check the captions yourself, and only upgrade when you want the watermark gone.